Adjustable foot for furniture and the like



Sept. 18, 1934. F. v. FOGELSTRCM ADJUSTABLE FOOT FOR FURNITURE AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 18, 1933 orney.

Patented Sept. 18, 1934 ADJUSTABLE FOOT FOR FURNITURE ANn THE LiKE h 're-drilr Vilhelm Fogelstrom, Huddinge, Sweden Application December 18, 1933, Serial No. 702,863 In Sweden December 22, 1932 3 Claims. (Cl. -139) The present invention relates to an adjustable foot for furniture and the like, which consists of a screw-threaded sleeve or nut and a screw screwed into said nut, one of said members being 5 secured to the piece of furniture in such position that its axis is vertical when the piece of furniture stands on the floor or other support, while the other member, which is rotatable relatively to the piece of furniture, is intended to rest with its lower end against the floor. The invention consists in the screw threads of the screw and of the nut or sleeve being made with so large a lead that they are not self-stopping, so that if the piece of furniture is raised from the floor, the rotatable member may, actuated by its own weight, or optionally, aided by a spring actuating the same, screw itself downwards relatively to the member secured to the piece of furniture, until it comes to bear against the floor, the lower end surface of the rotatable member which is adapted to bear against the floor, being constructed in such manner that when said rotatable member comes to bear against the floor, it is prevented by the friction between its lower surface and the floor from screwing itself upwards relatively to the other member under the influence of the weight of the piece of furniture resting on the same. Said lower end of the rotatable member may, for instance, have a greater diameter than the outside diameter of the screw thread, or it may have a roughened surface.

By this arrangement the result is attained that a piece of furniture, for instance a chair or a table having four legs at least two of which are provided with adjustable feet of this type, will automatically come to stand firmly even when placed on an uneven floor or other support.

In the accompanying drawing a few constructional forms of the invention are illustrated by way of example, the adjustable foot being shown as attached to a table leg. Figs. 1 and 2 show vertical sections of one constructional form of the adjustable foot with the screw in different positions relatively to the table leg. Figs. 3 and 4 show two slightly modified constructional forms of the adjustable foot, also in vertical sections.

In all constructional forms illustrated the threaded sleeve or nut 2 is inserted in the lower end of the table leg 1. Screwed into said sleeve 2 is a screw or plug 3 which is provided at its lower end with a head 4 having a larger diameter than the outer diameter of the thread of the screw. The sleeve 2 is provided at its lower enlarged end into which the head 4 may partially move, as shown in Fig. 1, with a flange 5 which bears against the lower end of the table leg 1. The screw 3 is provided at its upper or inner end with a flange 6 which is adapted to cooperate with a stop screw 7 screw-threaded into the sleeve 2 and which serves to limit the outward movement of the screw 3 in the sleeve 2.

' According to the invention, the screw threads of the screw 3 and of the sleeve 2 are made with 'so large a lead that they are not self-stopping,

so that, consequently, the screw 3 which rotatable relatively to the table leg 1, may, if it is raised from the floor, screw itself downwards, actuated by its own weight, relatively to the sleeve 2 secured to the table leg 1. If therefore, when the table is placed on a. floor, one of the table legs is too short, or the floor is uneven, the screw 3 will screw itself out of the sleeve 2 until the head 4 rests against the floor, as shown in Fig. 2. Since the lower end surface of the head i has a greater diameter than the outer diameter of the screw thread, the screw 3 will be prevented by the friction between the floor and the lower surface of the head 4 bearing against the floor, from screwing itself upwards in the sleeve 2 under the influence of the weight of the table resting on the screw, so that the table will stand firmly even if the floor is uneven. If the screw is screwed out too far when moving the table, it is only required, when placing the table on the floor, to draw the same back and forth a short distance on the floor, whereby the screw will screw itself into the sleeve and will adjust itself in the proper position, so that the table stands firmly.

In the constructional form shown in Fig. 3 the screw 3 is provided at its inner end with an axial bore inserted in which is a coil spring 8, the upper end of which bears against the bottom of the sleeve 2, and the lower end of wh ch bears against the bottom of the bore in the screw and thus assists in effecting the above-mentioned outward movement of the screw 3, if for some reason or other the screw tends to stick in the sleeve.

In the constructional form shown in Fig. 4 the head 4 is shaped as a cap which surrounds a tubular extension 9 at the lower end of the sleeve 2 and thus prevents dirt from entering the sleeve.

The constructional forms above described and illustrated in the drawing are only to be regarded as examples, and it will be understood that the same may be further modified in several ways without departing from the principle of the invention.

I claim:

1. An adjustable foot for furniture and the like, comprising two members screw-threaded one into the other, one of said members being adapted to be fixed in a vertical position to a piece of furniture, and the other member being capable of moving vertically by turning relatively to the firstnamed member and serving to bear against the floor or support on which the piece of furniture is placed to support the weight,ofithewsame the screw threads on said membersrhaving sovlarge a lead as to be non-selfstopping so that the movable member is capable of screwing itself downwards actuated by its weight relatively to the fixed memher until it comes to rest against the floor, and said movable member having its-lower-end surface adapted by frictional engagement Witlrthe floor; or .:s. -1DDOrt onrwhich the piece of furniture floor against which said member reststo prevent said member from screwing itself upwards relatively to said fixed member=under"=the-influence-of a lead astobe non-selfstopping so that the movathe weight supported by said movablemem-ber.

2. An adjustable foot for furniture and thezlike, comprising an internally screw-threaded sleeve,

and a screw havingan exteriorthread screwed intorsaidsleeve, ,oneoftsaidmembers being adapt- ;edto be fixedzin a verticalposition-to: apiece of furniture; andthe, othermember beingacapable r of Vmoving. vertically by turning relatively;:t0; -th .imernberfrom screwing-itself upwards relatively to 100 firstnamed member. and serving. to bear; against the floor or support; .011; which ;the:.pie.ce. of :iurni- .ture is placed to-isupport the weightmfitheesame, the screw gthreadsdonlsaid :membershhaving sso large a lead as to be non-selfstopping so that the movable member is capable of screwing itself downwards actuated by its weight relatively to the fixed member until it comes to rest against the floor, and said movable member having its lower end surface of a larger diameter than the outside diameter of the-screw thread.

"13.":AIL adjustable foot for furniture and ,the like, comprising two members screw-threaded one into 'the'pther, one of said members being adapted to :be fixed in a vertical position to a piece of furniture, and the other member being capable of movinguvertically by-turning relatively to the firstnamed member and serving to bear against the is placed to support the weight of the same, the screwi-threads on said members having so large ble. member is capable of screwing itself downwards actuated by its weight relatively to the fixed zmemberu-rnntilwit; comes .to rest againstz'the :fioor, -.-said= movable member having its lower endsurface adapted by frictional engagement with the floor :againstwhich said member rests-to:preventsaid :;said;=fixed member. .under the. :infiuenceof the ;weight: supported by saidi-movable member,- and a spring:aotuating:saidimovablemember.

FFREDRIK', VILHELM- FOGELSTRGM. 

